In April of 2023, La Porte Police Department visited American RENOLIT Corporation, LaPorte, Indiana, to conduct active shooter response training. To express its gratitude, American RENOLIT presented the La Porte Police Department with a check for $2,000 on August 24, 2023.
American RENOLIT reached out to La Porte Police Department about a year ago to see if active shooter response training was one of the services the department offered. The La Porte Police Department was more than willing to train American RENOLIT on how to respond to an active shooter situation.
“You can never be too prepared. Training is key. We train every year on different things, and it's good that businesses do this and schools do this. We also do it for churches,” Police Chief Paul Brettin said. “It’s beneficial for everyone because in this day and age, you have to be prepared.”
The training involved the police teaching American RENOLIT how to increase security measures, how to identify potential threats, who to alert when a threat has been identified, and where to hide to stay safe until authorities arrive.
“Our workforce is looking out for each other a little more closely,” said Dr. Lukas Kromer, HSE manager at American RENOLIT. “They can see when somebody new walks through the building or recognize if it’s a vendor they’ve seen before. If it’s somebody new, they start asking questions and have a response plan. They know to contact the supervisor, contact the co-workers, bring attention to the fact that there’s somebody that doesn't belong there, and act accordingly.”
This training also helped police officers familiarize themselves with American RENOLIT’s facility and helped American RENOLIT employees familiarize themselves with the police officers. In the event of an active shooter situation, this level of familiarity will make for a better, smoother response on both ends.
While the aim of the active shooter response training was to prepare American RENOLIT for an active shooter situation, the staff can use this knowledge in any public space. They can also take this training back to their own families and further educate the community.
“It’s all about prevention. Anything that deals with active shooter response training is preventing the outcome by educating the workforce on what to do,” Kromer said. “That's something they can take with them anywhere they go. It's not just in the workplace; it's at the park, at the grocery store, at a concert, and anywhere that there's a public venue with a lot of people and potential for harm.”
American RENOLIT President Nils Dietz is happy to have developed a relationship with the La Porte Police Department and intends to continue this relationship through further training opportunities.
“We discussed doing a refresher training every couple of years to make this a safer place,” Dietz said. “We are also always open to discussing new ideas. This was a good first step to developing a good relationship with the La Porte Police Department. We wanted to show our appreciation for them because they do a great job, and they do a great service for companies, for citizens, and for the community.”
For more information about American RENOLIT Corporation, LaPorte, Indiana, visit its website here, www.renolit.com/laporte.